LAHORE: Shortage of thyroxine – a life-saving drug -- has again hit the market across Punjab, forcing patients to purchase it on inflated rates from specified dealers and pharmacies.

This acute shortage of the drug has been witnessed after a gap of two years. The first large-scale and countrywide chronic shortage was reported in 2012 and the reason was said to be its pricing. Now, once again it is unavailable in the local market and patients are buying it in black on almost double the rate.

Some major reasons behind the shortage is said to be its short shelf life, low production, pricing and hoarding by some distributors and retailers for blind profit in the black market.

Available in 25 microgram, 50 microgram and 100 microgram tablets, thyroxine plays an important role in regulating many of the body’s metabolic functions, a senior medical expert says.

“Thyroxine has a very long action in the body and is taken as a single dose daily, usually in the morning preferably before breakfast,” he added. He said the drug is advised to a patient to be used for life.

An official privy to information told Dawn in view of the drug’s first chronic shortage, the Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP) had asked some pharmaceutical companies to produce it to meet its countrywide demand. But a short while later, the firms stopped production due to its low price. Only GlaxoSmithKline, however, continued. The DRAP asked the GlaxoSmithKline management to increase the drug’s supply according to demand.

“Pricing is not the issue behind the shortage,” DRAP Pricing Director Amanullah told Dawn.

He said a gap between demand and supply is the main reason that occasionally led to its shortage.

He also pointed a finger at the involvement of several big distributors and retailers for playing havoc with patients, saying they were hoarding the drug in order to earn more profit margin.

Amanullah also cited some technical reasons for low production. He said thyroxine is one of the rare drugs manufactured in a dedicated or specified area where no other medicine can be produced.

When contacted, a distributor working near Gadhafi Stadium said he was supposed to distribute the drug to pharmacies in three districts, including Lahore, Kasur and Sheikhupura. He said the drug’s shortage started a couple of weeks ago.

“In order to address this issue a batch of fresh 15,000 medicines has been made available in the market and more are likely to reach the provincial capital within the next week,” he added.

He also said as many as 48 commercial distributors were operating in Punjab and the drug will reach them soon.

“If thyroxine is not available in the market, a patient can buy it from my office any time on its original price of Rs100,” the distributor claimed.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2014